Healthcare workers at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth (Mass.), represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, ratified a new contract with management April 26, the union said.
Here are six things to know about the contract.
1. The three-year contract covers approximately 900 hospital workers, including physical therapists, radiology technicians, laboratory technicians, housekeeping staff, dietary staff, certified nursing assistants, maintenance and janitorial staff and clerical staff.
2. Under the contract, covered workers will be ensured a $15 an hour minimum wage.
3. The union said some workers covered by the contract were making as little as $12.83 an hour and will see their wages immediately increased to $15 an hour.
4. The contract includes a wage increase of 8.5 percent over the life of the agreement, ensuring that by 2019, the minimum start rate at the hospital will increase to $16.08 an hour.
5. The contract maintains workers' health insurance costs and education and training benefits, according to the union.
6. The contract includes job and salary classification upgrades for more than 300 workers. It also includes continued access to the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund, a joint labor-management partnership between 1199SEIU and local participating health providers that has helped workers to enroll in post-secondary certificate or degree programs, according to the union.
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